The Online Adventures of Ragaleana Emeraldin
by AirHawk19
Summary: A bit of a loner, she had no intention of starting a vlog. However, stumbling across the vlog of a certain green girl made her realize she's not quite so alone as she thought. Join Ragaleana Emeraldin as she navigates college life and life as a vlogger. Modern AU and OC-centric, but will have Elphaba and Co. eventually. I work on this as inspiration dictates.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked or any characters or materials taken from the book or musical. No copyright infringement intended.**

 **Author's Note: This story was inspired by 'The Wicked Witch Diaries' by Niamhinwonderland.**

* * *

The video starts with a black screen and white text in the center reading, _1: First Vlog._ After a few seconds, the black screen vanishes and we see a girl in her early twenties, with emerald-green skin, piercing hazel eyes, and wavy midnight-black hair that she wears in a loose mane about her shoulders. There's a set of bookshelves all along the wall behind her, completely filled with books, but that is all the camera allows us to glimpse of her dorm room. As we can only see her from the lower ribcage up, we see that she's sporting a charcoal-grey tank top, a black cord necklace with a sliver wolf head pendant, and black leather armbands bearing red tribal markings on her toned biceps. Her arms are crossed and she looks a little nervous as she licks her lips before starting.

 _"Hey, I've never done one of these vlogs before and I have a tendency to ramble, so please bear with me. I suppose I should start with my name. I'm Ragaleana Emeraldin, daughter of Ragos Emeraldin, as in the owner and CEO of EmeraldTech, the largest company of electronics and technological advances in the world. Yeah,_ those _Emeraldins."_ She sighs in a way that's half weary, half disappointed.

 _"Anyway, I'm here at Shiz University to major in business for the distant someday when my father will retire from the company and pass it and the family legacy on to me. This is my first year at Shiz, even though I'm twenty-one. The reason for this is my little cousin Jonik. He's basically like my annoying little brother, and my Aunt Minea made a deal with my dad that I wouldn't go to college until Jonik was ready to go too, so I could keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't do anything to get himself expelled. I'm not complaining, I'm just annoyed and disappointed because the kid is smart and he knows it, but he acts like a spoiled eight year old even though he's really eighteen._

 _"In any case, what I really wanted to talk about, was my reason for starting a vlog. As you can clearly see, I'm green. No, it's not makeup or a joke, I'm really this rich emerald shade of green. I've been this way since birth and, while no one really knows for certain why, I have a theory."_ Ragaleana disappears from the frame for a moment as she bends down to grab something.

She pops back up a minute later, holding a little glass bottle, filled with a thick green liquid. _"You see this bottle? Inside it is an alcoholic and highly addictive beverage known as Green Elixir. My mother, Valea Emeraldin, drank this while pregnant with me. Now, I know this could just be a coincidence, but this stuff is the exact, and I mean_ exact _, shade of green as my skin. My theory is, this stuff permanently turned me green in my mother's womb. Now, I don't blame my mother, she couldn't have known. I just think that this stuff is the cause of my greenification._

 _"Anyway, I'm rambling again. To get back to my point, when I first came to Shiz, I had no intentions of doing a vlog. What changed my mind was that one day, I was sitting under my favorite tree in the wood out back, after a rigorous round of dulon training, when I stumbled across a vlog on OzTube. Now, I'll be honest, I was down right shocked when I saw the girl vlogging was as green as myself! Now, imagine how much greater my surprise, when I found that, not only was this girl green like me, she was attending Shiz this year as well! Unfortunately, I don't have the same class schedule as her or I'd have known sooner. Still, this girl has been an inspiration to me and I decided to do my own vlog._

 _"Elphaba Thropp, you are an inspiration to me and I hope we can meet up one of these days and get to know each other. Well, that's it for now. I'll be back soon, hopefully with a better plan than just winging it. This is Raga, signing off."_


	2. Chapter 2

_2: A Day in the Life of Raga._ The screen switches to a view of Raga standing in the middle of her dorm room. She's wearing a black tank top tucked into dark-brown cargo pants, which are neatly tucked into black leather combat boots. She's also wearing a black leather belt, which sports a clip-holder for her black and green smartphone and a couple leather pouches for holding various small items, as well as her necklace and tribal armbands from the last video. She's smiling and her hazel eyes dance with merriment.

 _"Hey, out there! I've got great news! Not only have I received far more likes and views than I imagined, but, Elphaba herself saw my video and liked it! She also suggested I do a little 'day in my life,' kind of video and thanked me for saying she's an inspiration in my video. By the way, I've put a link to her channel in the description below, so be sure to check out her vlog, like, and subscribe to her._

 _"Anyway, on with the 'day in the life of Raga,' video. The first thing I usually do when I get up, after I get dressed, is go through my workout routine. I usually start with my rung ka. For those of you who don't know what that is, rung ka is a type of martial arts from the Rundalung Tribes of Cornuva, my mother's people, hence my tribal armbands. Rung ka means 'elemental fight' and focuses on balance, strength, dexterity, and endurance through various stretches and combat combos. Like this,"_ Raga starts by going through a series of yoga-like stretches, then progresses smoothly into kung fu or karate-like moves.

This only lasts about a minute and Raga ends with a high kick to an invisible opponent's head. She then bows from the waist to the camera and moves to pick it up. Holding the camera at arm's length, she continues. _"That was just a very brief example of rung ka. My actual workout usually lasts about an hour or two. Anyway, moving on,"_ the camera swings around to give us a view of the room, while Raga's voice narrates off camera. _"This, is my dorm room. Thankfully, I was able to convince my father to just let me apply for a single room rather than a double private suite. I mean, seriously? How much empty space do you need to qualify as 'important'? Anyway, this is my bed, which I hate to admit, I seldom make as I just want to crash by the end of the day, and over here to the left of the bed is my desk. Here is where my laptop and text books reside when not in my bag or in class. My desk drawers are home to all sorts of odds and ends as I'm a terrible organizer and something of a tinkerer. One of my nicknames back home was 'Improv,' since I was known to fix almost anything with odds and ends I had lying around._

 _"Moving on, to the left of the desk is the door to the hall and past that is my closet. There's really not much in there as I travel light as a rule and my sense of style is… not exactly 'stylish.' I prefer comfort and practicality over fashion. Anyway, the moment you've all been waiting for… ta da! My wall of books. I am a total bookworm and love nothing more than curling up with a good story when the weather is too inhospitable for even my weather hardened body. As for all the stuff on top of my bookshelves… well, I'm also a bit of a nerd,"_ Raga sweeps the camera slowly from one side of the wall long shelf to the other, revealing a double row of little plastic figures lined up along the full length of the five foot high top shelf.

 _"Yes! I admit it, I collect action figures. It all started years ago, when I was about seven and I've just kept it up ever since. Of course, my father tried to teach me that it's best to keep them in the packaging as it increases the value in the long run… but it's not as fun. My collection spans both the Wonder and the O.Z. universes, though my favorites have to be the Z-Men and the Retribution League collections. In any case, that's pretty much it for my room. I'll just grab a hoodie and my skateboard and I'll take you on my usual route around campus."_

The camera cuts to a rolling view of the campus and the sound of wheels on pavement as Raga apparently skateboards along one of several walks going across the campus. She resumes her narrative after a moment. _"I usually take this walk we're on to the coffeehouse on campus to get breakfast, which is on my way to Hage Hall, where my first class is Economics with Professor Ign. He's ok, but he tends to run long winded and could make an action movie sound boring. At least he doesn't spit like Prof. Kirik in my Calculus class next door, directly afterwards. No one ever wants to sit in the front row of his class."_

The camera shows a turn as Raga hangs a right and keeps on going. _"After those two classes, I have lunch in the cafeteria in that building on the left."_ The camera shows a rolling view of a long brick building with the words, _'Tyner Hall'_ on a very large gold plaque. The camera then shifts forward again as Raga continues down another walkway that forks to the left.

 _"After lunch, is my most enjoyable class, located over there to the right in Dere Hall. Political History with Dr. Dillamond. Now, he is an excellent instructor. He always has a comprehensive lesson plan, interesting lectures, and thought provoking questions at the end that really make you think not only about what you learned, but how it applies to you. I wish there were more Animal instructors on campus or at the very least more human instructors who taught like Dr. Dillamond. Anyway, after History, I've got one other class and that's Business Basics with Professor Egin in Vanic Hall._

 _"That woman wears her face in an expression of permanent, sour disappointment and displeasure. She hates teaching and only does it for the money. Her classes are a torment and it's a relief to get out of them. That's why I usually practice my dulon so rigorously afterwards; to blow off steam and relax. Then I usually head home, shower, eat something, and hit the hay. I only have classes Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, so I go to class one day then study and do homework the next. I find I absorb things better that way."_ The camera turns to see Raga wearing a black helmet and smiling as she rides along the walk.

 _"Well, that pretty much covers what I do in an average school day, so I'll end the vlog here. If you have questions, leave them in the comments below and if I get enough, I'll do a Q &A video. Until then, this is Raga, signing off."_

 **Author's Note: If you have questions you'd like to submit for Raga, please do so. It'll be interesting and make my job of coming up with questions a little easier. Thanks for the support so far.**


	3. Chapter 3

_3: Q &A._ The camera reveals Raga seated at her desk, wearing a blue tank top and her usual accessories.

 _"Hey, guys. Wow! I got way more questions than I thought I would. So many in fact, it took me awhile to condense them down. Especially since a lot of people asked the same kinds of questions. So, without further ado, let's begin._

 _"The first question is from several people: 'What is dulon?' I figured a few of you would ask that, so I'll try to explain it._

 _"Dulon is a twofold term. It refers both to a specific type of swordplay and the act of solo training. In my case, it refers to both simultaneously. Since my sparring partner back home moved away some time ago, I've been solo training for a few years now. As for the sword form itself, dulon comes from my mother's people, the Rungdalung. It was practiced by all their swordsmen, but only a rare few advanced to the highest levels of it. I am currently on the sixth level out of ten._

 _"Every year, there is a big tournament in Gishar, the capital city of Cornuva, where practitioners of the traditional Rungdalung martial arts can compete to advance their levels. Fortunately, it's in the summer, so I'll be able to attend like I do every year and hopefully earn my red curta. A curta is a traditional headband, made of Cornuvian cotton, signifying the level of dulon the wearer is at by its color. The red curta signifies level seven, with the rare gold curta signifying level ten."_

Raga pulls a blue cloth band from off screen and wraps it around her head, tying securely in place. _"This is my current curta that I will wear to the tournament. If I can match or beat a red curta in single combat, I will earn my own red curta._

 _"Anyway, on to the next question. This question is from HartainOnline: 'What do the symbols on your armbands mean?' In order to answer this question, I'm going to get a little long winded, as it's a bit of a long story._

 _"Remember in my last video, how I said rung ka means, 'elemental fight'? Well, in Rungdalung tradition, the four elements, Fire, Water, Earth, and Air, are very significant. They are believed to be strongly connected to an individual's personality and temperament. When someone takes up regular practice of rung ka, they are given a 'warrior's name,' which they are known by among all others who practice the old traditions. This takes place during a special ceremony, when a student is accepted by a master for training. The student must perform what moves and combos they believe will help them most in the situations the master presents. How they respond tells the master about their personality and reveals the element they best represent._

 _"The master then presents the student with cloth armbands in the color that represents their element and reveals their warrior's name. After that, the training begins and a short time later, the student is presented with a pair of leather armbands with their warrior's name on them in traditional characters in the color of their element. As you may have guessed, my element is fire, for my passion, strong will, and powerful fighting style. The markings on my armbands are the letters of my warrior's name, which is 'Burdunlung,' which means 'Flame of Earth,' since my master said my fighting style and temperament were so evenly tied between fire and earth, he almost couldn't make a final decision,"_ Raga smiles fondly at the memory.

 _"Moving on, the next question is from Doglover645: 'I want to know about your friends at Shiz.'_

 _"Well, to be honest, I don't really have many friends at Shiz. I mean, besides Jonik, I don't really know anyone here and due to the green, I've never really had many friends in my life to begin with. I haven't met Elphaba in person yet, but we are scheduled to meet up at the library this Saturday, so we'll see how that goes. Maybe I'll even vlog it if she agrees._

 _"As for any others, Dr. Dillamond is one, even though he's an instructor. I have to say, the old Goat is the most approachable instructor on campus. The others are all put off by the green. Anyway, Jonik ignores me in public because he's a total jock and hangs out with the hadokball team ever since he made the cut. At least he has the decency to keep them off my back when he's around. It's only because he knows I'm more than capable of putting them in the hospital or worse if I feel threatened, but I still appreciate it. However, I'm still the first person he comes to for advice and help getting out of whatever trouble he's gotten himself into,"_ Raga chuckles and shakes her head.

 _"Other than family and instructors, I have met one person who will at least talk to me without insulting me. She's a really unique person and others often underestimate her because she's 'disabled.' At first, I only thought she was nice to me because she's blind and can't see the green, but when I told her I was green, she said it really didn't matter what color I was since that wasn't what determined what kind of person I was. She also said that if people were rude or avoided me just because of my green skin, then it was they who were at a disadvantage if they couldn't see past the simple color of my skin. I keep her name secret because she asked me to, so please don't ask me to reveal it. Such comments will be deleted, for my word once given will never be broken._

 _"Next question is from ElphieIsPopular: 'Hey, Raga! So, my question is do you have a love interest?'_

 _"Ha! Are you kidding? I'm green for Oz sakes! The only thing boys ever say to me is stuff like, 'I wonder how much I could make if I bet so-and-so to bed you.' I'm not joking. I've actually had a guy say that to me, to my face, in front of a large group of students. It took every ounce of self-control I possessed not to kick the guy in the nether regions then and there. Aside from the fact that very few people can see past my skin to begin with, I've never really had much interest in romance or love anyway, so no, I don't have a love interest and I never will as far as I can see and that suites me just fine._

 _"The next question is from several people: 'Do you have magic like Elphaba?'_

Raga gets an uncomfortable look on her face. _"Hehe. Um, yeah, I have magic like Elphaba. I got it from my father's side of the family, as they were once among the most powerful magicians and enchanters in Oz. However, due to corruption and greed, my father's family was cursed and stripped of their magic, 'until such a one was born as would be outcast from society forever and so would not abuse the gift.' I guess I fit the bill. I don't often use my magic, but that's because it's mostly the ability to summon and control fire and manipulate earth as well as plant-life. I can also heal wounds and use telekinesis, but that's it._

 _"The last question for today is from GoftheUpperUplands: 'Why don't you go back to whatever hole you crawled out of and take your green sister with you?'_

Raga rolls her eyes. _"Really, Galinda? We're going to go through this again? Elphaba is not my sister, nor is she related to me in any way, shape, or form that I know of. And for the last time, I didn't tell Prince Fiyero that you're not a virgin. I didn't even know about that until you accused me of the deed right off the bat. Also, I couldn't have told his royal jerkness, because he only ever acknowledges my existence to insult me. And finally, even if I had known that particular piece of information, I would not have told anyone because it's none of my business._

 _"That's it for today. Until next time, this is Raga, signing off."_

 **Author's Note: Galinda is being mean because it's only been a month or two, but don't worry. We'll soon see some Gelphie friendship and all that good stuff.  
**


	4. Chapter 4

_4: Combo Vlog._ The screen cuts to show Raga seated on a wooden stool in what appears to be a music room, judging by the grand piano and music stands in the background. She's dressed in a dark-brown long sleeve shirt, with her armbands over top of it, her wolf necklace, and black cargo pants tucked into her black combat boots. She's not alone, as another green girl, wearing a dark-grey hoodie and black bootcut jeans over a pair of brown boots, is seated on another stool beside her. Her long midnight-black hair is braided down her back and a woven leather necklace adorns her neck, along with a watch on her left wrist.

Raga smiles and gives a two finger half-salute, half-wave to the camera. _"Hey, guys! Those of you who follow Elphaba on OzTube and Chirp already know this, but she agreed to do a combined vlog with me! So, without further ado, here's the girl herself. Elphaba, take it away!"_

Elphaba smiles at Raga's enthusiasm and waves to the camera. _"Hello, friends. As you know, or should by this point, I'm Elphaba Thropp. Now, when I first saw Raga's vlog, I'll admit I was as shocked as she was to learn there was another green person in all of Oz. At first, I thought it was a joke, but she looked so serious that I half believed she was truly green. I latter discovered from rumors around campus and even latter conformation from Dr. Dillamond, that Raga was indeed as green as I was. Then, I went back and saw her vlog in a new light. Instead of seeing a cruel joke played by the spoiled rich daughter of the owner of one of the biggest contributing companies to pollution and Animal oppression in the world, I saw a girl who was as outcast and socially awkward as I was. I was also flattered by her message to me. To have someone earnestly call me an inspiration was… amazing. After that, I learned or tried to learn a bit more about Raga. Turns out, she's not the most popular girl in school,"_ Elphaba smirks before continuing.

 _"Anyway, Dr. Dillamond was a great help as a mutual friend and I actually have met Raga's cousin Jonik. True, he acts like a rude, obnoxious jock when he's around the hadokball team, but he's really not so bad when you get to know him. Between those two sources, I was able to get a pretty good idea of Raga's character. At least, I thought I did._

 _"When I actually met Raga for the first time, I was surprised. I was expecting an introverted, bookworm, kidobo master with a bit of a temper. What I got, was a girl with a positive outlook on life, mad martial arts skills, a genius level intellect, and more self-control than I have."_

 _"Oh. I'm not that great. I wouldn't say I'm a genius and I certainly don't have as much self-control as I should,"_ Raga says, blushing a light fuchsia.

 _"Did I mention she's way too modest? Seriously, when I saw and heard that guy, and I use the term loosely, say he should make a bet with his friend to bed Raga to make some quick money, I just about fried him myself. I probably would have too, if my sister hadn't been present as well. I mean, seriously, I don't care who you are, you don't say something like that to someone; you just don't. It's rude, degrading, and insulting and makes you look like an idiotic jerk, which you would have to be to say something like that,"_ Elphaba clenches her fists and grits her teeth, breathing hard through her nose.

Raga looks at her concernedly and gently lays a hand on her shoulder. _"Are you alright, Elphaba? Do you wanna take a break?"_

Elphaba looks up at Raga, a small smile coming to her face. Looking back at the camera she lays a hand on Raga's shoulder and points to her. _"This girl is amazing. She always thinks about other people before herself."_ She looks back at Raga before saying, _"I'm alright, Raga. I still don't get how you can stay so positive after that incident, let alone how you could forgive that jerk. How do you do it?"_

Raga blushes a little and looks down, rubbing the back of her neck. _"Well, it's not in my own strength, that's for sure. I rely on the help of the King of Light. It is by His strength alone, that I am able to forgive and stay positive and I have to say, it's very freeing."_

Elphaba blinks, clearly having trouble believing Raga's statement. _"Can you please explain?"_

Raga smiles. _"Of course. You see, when you hold a grudge, it takes up energy. Over time, it can consume you and it's all you think about. It's like a heavy weight on your mind and heart. By letting go of the anger and hurt and need for 'justice,' you release all that negative energy that's draining you. Once you've done that, it's like a great weight is lifted off you and you can move on with your life with more energy and just a happier attitude all together."_

Elphaba shakes her head. _"I still don't understand it, but it seems to work for you, so I'm glad."_

Raga smiles. _"It'll come with time. In the meantime, we've got a bit of an announcement. For all you out there following us, Elphaba and I will be doing more combo vlogs in the future."_

Elphaba sits up straighter. _"Yes. We will alternate who's host and guest, so the next time we get together for a combo vlog, Raga will be the guest on my channel."_

Raga grins. _"So, that's all the time we have today. If you liked this vlog give it a thumbs up, comment, and subscribe. Until next time, this is Raga, signing off."_

 **Author's Note: Sorry for the long delay. Life decided to throw illness and college at me, again. Anyway, for your Ozian definitions, hadokball is like American football and kidobo is Munchkinland slang for martial arts in general.**


	5. Chapter 5

_5: Infinite Shades of Grey._ The camera reveals Raga seated on her bed wearing a burgundy hoodie, with ' _Shiz University_ ' in gold letters on the front, and black sweats. Her expression is one of semi-shocked puzzlement.

 _"Friends, an incredible thing has happened. Galinda Upland has become friends with Elphaba and myself."_

She continues in a kind of daze. _"It all started when Galinda invited Elphaba and me to a party at the Ozdust. Apparently, she had given Elphaba an unusual hat, then showed up at my dorm room out of the blue and gave me a black cape with the Rundalung fire emblem on it. I, of course, knew exactly what it was and accepted both the invitation and the cape, thinking Galinda had turned over a new leaf._

 _"When I got to the party, I ran into Elphaba outside and learned what had passed between Galinda and herself. She'll be doing a vlog of her own soon, so you can learn the details from her. Anyway, as soon as we both walked in the door, everyone and everything stopped. I mean literally stopped what they were doing, dead in their tracks, and just stared at us. Elphaba and I both knew we had been set up, 'cause everyone was whispering and/or staring at us like we didn't belong. We both know that kind of stare all too well, as we've had to deal with it all our lives._

 _"Anyway, Elphaba got this hard, determined look on her face and just strode out onto the dance floor and started dancing to a tune only she could hear. I just smiled and watched, not really caring about the stares, just letting it all roll off my shoulders like I've learned to do. But then, I saw something that took me by surprise; Galinda walked out onto the floor and rather timidly asked if she could cut in. Elphaba threw her hands up in a way that clearly expressed her anger and hurt as she stepped back, but Galinda just started doing the dance Elphaba had been doing. As she danced, the band started playing again and she gestured for Elphaba to join her, which she did. Their movements where graceful and they seemed to move in sync with each other as though they had practiced the routine together before. That was what really got me._

 _"At any rate, both Galinda and Elphaba gestured for me to join them, so I did. Now, I'm not much of a dancer, but I actually had fun at a party for the first time in my life that night. Afterwards, Elphaba and Galinda when home together, seeing as they're roommates and all, and I headed off to my own room. The next day, Galinda called on me after classes and spent quite a while explaining herself and apologizing for her previous rudeness. Apparently, the Rundalung fire emblem looks like a pig lying on its back with all its legs sticking up in the air to most people, so they make fun of it. To me and any other Rundalungs, it represents the essence of fire in our traditions and is a sign of honor. Galinda was both relieved and rather embarrassed to learn that. Anyway, in the end, Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands, the quite literal Queen of Popularity at Shiz, has forsaken her adoring crowd to befriend the two most outcast people in all of Oz. I'm still having a bit of trouble fully wrapping my head around this nearly a week later."_

Raga shakes her head, then runs her hand down the front of her face. _"Well, all I know is, the world really isn't all black and white. There are indeed, infinite shades of grey, for you can never judge a book by its cover. Or a girl by her popularity. Until next time, this is Raga, signing off."_


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Now we get to nice Galinda, though she still has a thing or two to learn.  
**

 _6: The Perks of Perkiness._ The camera reveals Raga sitting in a dorm room that is not her own. One side of the room looks like it might be Raga's, except it's completely organized near to the point of being the work of someone who's got OCD. The other side of the room is pink and fluffy. There is literally no other way to describe it. Pink fluffy bedspread, pink fluffy rug, pink fluffy chairs… a pink and fluffy hurricane hit that side of the room.

Raga's expression is carefully neutral as she sits on a wooden stool. She's about to speak but is interrupted by a high-pitched, super girly voice. _"Are you recording yet?"_

Raga sighs. _"Yes, Galinda, I'm recording, but…"_

Raga is cut off by a pink and blonde blur. Suddenly, a petite blonde girl (Galinda), is taking up the whole frame and smiling like she's on 'The Daily Lives of Ozian Celebrities'. _"Hello, everyone! As I'm sure you all know, I'm Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands. Now, I know I was kinda mean to Elphie and Raga before and I'm really, really sorry for that, but we're all friends now and I, in my generous nature, have decided to make them popular! That way, everyone will see how great they are!"_

 _"Ehem! Galinda, I know you're excited and all, but this is_ my _vlog you know,"_ Raga huffs, her annoyance showing in her voice.

 _"Oh! I'm so sorry! I guess I got a little carried away. You go on, Raga,"_ Galinda at once sits down on one of her fluffy pink saucer chairs.

Raga sighs in relief. _"Thank you. Sorry about that folks. She's easily excited."_

 _"Hey!"_ Galinda exclaims indignantly, crossing her arms.

Raga smirks. _"Well, it's true. You bounce around squealing every time someone invites you to a party or even just to go shopping. Seriously, it's kinda ridiculous."_

 _"I'll have you know, I don't squeal,"_ Galinda retorts.

Raga smirks. _"Then what would you call it?"_

Galinda frowns, knowing she's bested. _"Oh! You're just like Elphie! I can see why you two get along so well."_ Galinda smiles softly at that.

Raga grins. _"And I have absolutely no idea how you two can stand each other at all. I mean, you two are as opposite as opposite can get."_

Galinda chuckles. _"Elphie says the same thing all the time. But enough about that. I wanted to talk about the perks of having a perky friend like me!"_

Raga rolls her eyes. _"Of course you did. Well, what are the perks of having a perky friend?"_

Galinda beams. _"I'm glad you asked! There are a number of perks that come with having a friend with a high perkiness level. The first being, you'll always have someone with a positive attitude around twenty-four seven. The second benefit, is you have someone around with a fabulous sense of fashion. No offense Raga, but your sense of fashion is… well, non-existent. Anyway, there are so many perks to perkiness, that it would take too long to name them all, so I'll only list a couple more. You'll always have someone to do your makeup and give you makeovers, and you'll always have someone to get you invited to all the best parties!"_

Raga's expression has gone from neutral to just plain disbelieving. _"Galinda, you never cease to amaze me."_

 _"Why thank you! You're pretty amazing yourself,"_ Galinda says, completely oblivious to Raga's meaning.

Raga shakes her head. _"That's not exactly what I meant. I mean, what does perkiness have to do with fashion sense, makeup, or parties? Also, have you ever considered that Elphaba and I actually_ like _the way we are just fine?"_

Galinda's face gets an utterly priceless look of total shock. _"Surely you jest! How can you two be happy always wearing grunge, no makeup, and having no social life!"_

Raga chuckles. _"The look on your face is priceless. Anyway, we both prefer comfortable, durable clothing to the ridiculous, impractical fashions that are always all the rage, and we like having time alone to study and think. You see Glin, we don't need all the frills and froufrou or to be in the popular crowd to be happy. Elphaba and I have never had many friends, so we cherish the few friends we do have for who they are, not what their social status is."_

Galinda looks a little sheepish. _"I see your point, Raga. And you're right. Before I met you and Elphie, I judged people all the time by how they dressed, who their parents were, who they hung out with, and how they looked. I never looked past the surface until I met you two. You and Elphie have shown me a whole new view of the world, of people, and I'll never forget who my real friends are."_

Raga smiles. _"Very good. Well, that's all for today folks. Until next time, this is Raga, signing off."_

 _"And Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands, saying, 'Stay fabulous!'"_ Galinda waves as the camera shuts off.


End file.
